The mask was torn off, revealing an unfamiliar face. Yet, to the princess, this face was all too familiar.
Now, she had no more illusions left, and she was on the verge of collapse. She knew very well what Nu'er's exposure meant.
Even so, she still clung to the last glimmer of hope that the people arranged by the Empress Dowager would be more capable.
Therefore, she still laughed arrogantly and said, "Dong Li Lu Cang, Yun Zhi, so what if you two expose Nu'er's identity? You'll still die anyway."
As if to prove her words, the sounds of fighting immediately came from outside.
Now, the eldest princess was even more smug.
"Did you hear that? Our people have already made their move."
Those in the wedding hall were startled and frightened by the commotion and the princess's words. If a fight broke out, and if the regent's side was truly defeated, their lives would be over.
Seeing the princess's smug expression, Yunzhi laughed along, ruthlessly shattering her illusions, and said, "It's true that a fight has broken out, but are you sure your people will be the ones to win?"
"What do you mean?" The princess's expression changed. If she was still confident that her side would win before, she was not so sure now.
"What I mean is that we knew about all this while you were planning it."
"What? Impossible! How could you know?" The eldest princess naturally didn't believe it. Even as a princess, she didn't know much, so how could Yunzhi and the others know?
If they had known, why wouldn't they have stopped it instead of letting things develop as they were?
"There are no secrets that stay hidden forever, and nothing is impossible. You must have arranged for people to accompany you on the wedding procession, right? Didn't you notice anything different when you arrived?"
"What's the difference?"
When she realized something was wrong, she assumed her mother and the others had changed their plans. But what if she was wrong?
Thinking of this, the princess's expression changed. If what Yunzhi said was true, and Lu Cang of Dongli knew all their plans, then everything would be over.
But she didn't want to die.
Thinking this through, the eldest princess immediately made a decision. She knelt before Lu Cang of Dongli and said, "Royal Uncle, I was wrong. I shouldn't have colluded with them. But I had no choice; they forced me. Please, have mercy on me and forgive me this time for my father's sake, okay?"
Dongli Lu Cang merely glanced at the other party and ordered, "Men, take her away."
He then reassured everyone present, telling them not to be afraid and to stay put, as the wedding and banquet would proceed as planned.
However, when it came time for the banquet, neither of the newlyweds were present.
At this point, they naturally arrived at the palace to deal with the troublemaking mother and son, as well as the so-called 'master'.
This gentleman was none other than a subordinate of a member of the imperial clan. That clan member had once instigated Lu Cang of Dongli to seize the throne and replace him, but after being reprimanded and dismissed from his post by Lu Cang, he harbored a deep grudge.
His cooperation with the emperor and empress dowager was a pretense; his true intention was to replace them.
He believed that since they were both members of the royal family, if others could become emperor, so could he. To this end, he was willing to collude with the enemy, betraying his country and people, as well as the hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the other side.
Lu Cang of Dongli never showed mercy to his enemies, especially those who colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country.
Kill some, imprison some.
Because of their busy schedule, the couple completely missed their wedding night. Besides, Dongli Lu Cang didn't want to see that useless emperor continue sitting on the throne.
He decided to ascend the throne himself.
Therefore, he decided to save the most beautiful night for the day Yunzhi was made empress.
At Lu Cang's command, the Ministry of Rites was scrambling to keep busy. But even with all the work, they were happy.
Good news came from the border: Lu Cang of Dongli led his troops to not only drive the enemy back, but also capture three of their cities.
So much so that the emperor of the enemy country was so frightened that he immediately sent an envoy to sue for peace.
The other party's actions during his wedding had already angered Lu Cang of Dongli. Therefore, not only did he not agree to the other party's plea, he even said directly to the envoy: "Either surrender and become a vassal of my Great Zhou, paying tribute every year, or have your country destroyed and become part of my Great Zhou's territory."
The emperor of the enemy country did not want his country to be destroyed, so he had no choice but to submit a letter of surrender.
The Ministry of Rites had been busy for a whole month, and finally the enthronement ceremony of Lu Cang of Dongli and the coronation ceremony of Yunzhi as empress arrived.
The Xu family, who were originally going to return to Jiangnan, and the people of Medicine King Valley, waited an extra month in the capital for this day.
When the Yun family learned that Yunzhi was to become Empress, they were filled with remorse. They even shamelessly went to Yunzhi, hoping to restore their relationship. But they couldn't even get a glimpse of her.
On the day of the ceremony, Dongli Lu Cang and Yun Zhi held hands and walked step by step up to the high platform.
The two stood side by side, followed by the courtiers' homage.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
"Long live the Empress!"
Looking at the kneeling courtiers below, Dongli Lu Cang tightly grasped Yunzhi's hand and said with boundless pride, "Zhizhi, the land is as beautiful as a painting, and from now on you and I will share it. May we, husband and wife, join hands to create a prosperous era."
Yunzhi turned her head to look at him, her eyes full of smiles, and softly replied with a single word: "Okay!"
From that moment on, they were emperor and empress, husband and wife!
They will walk side by side, join hands, and strive for the prosperity and peace of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
(End of article)
Changran
November 30, 2024
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